A New Beginning, a New Life
by Agrafeuse
Summary: Claire seeks to escape her old life of her fake self. She finds a job at the Town Hall, where while struggling to make a living, she has some run-ins with love. Updated regularly! Leave a review!
1. Chapter 1

After a lot of thinking, Claire knew that she had to be honest with herself. Yes, she wanted a new life. A new life that was not full of failed tests, missed classes, short deadlines, and frustrating professors. A new life that was not equations and formulas and graphs and data. A new life that was not college.

She had tried it. Her parents' dream was for her to go to college like the rest of her siblings, despite that she barely scraped by in high school. Her parents want her to be a math major, that's fine with her. She wasn't good at anything else. Her parents want her to go to a fancy private school, that's fine with her. She doesn't prefer anywhere else over it. After that life of doing what was expected of her, of living someone else's life, of following someone else's dreams, Claire was ready, so ready, to stop feeling obligated, to stop feeling pressured, to stop feeling like someone else. Claire was ready to be Claire.

It didn't matter that she didn't know who Claire was, because she knew exactly who she wasn't. She wasn't a college student, that's for sure. And when the chance to escape the fake Claire came, she jumped at it. A cheap house that would sustain her, a job where she could work as hard or as little as she wanted, a town where her parents' influence could not reach. She chose to become a farmer.

Claire held on to her small suitcase, holding the top of her straw hat so that it wouldn't fly away in the wind, the ribbon soaring above her head and dancing above her. Her short curls framed her face, not long enough to get into her eyes but not short enough to not be a nuisance. She was a pretty girl, but wholly unremarkable. Her hair was plain brown, as were her eyes, which lacked the depth that most people's had. Her eyes held no secrets. Her clothing was simple and flattering, but her body was more like a twelve year old boy's than a twenty year old girl's. Average height, average weight. Claire wasn't anything special, or at least to the naked eye.

Somewhere along the way to the station, a small pixie, a fairy type creature, had flown across her line of sight. It came as a shock to her, because really, how many flying fairies are there? She watched it as it flew, gliding left to right, with seemingly no pattern. As it bumbled along, it bumped into a tall street sign that was sticking out onto the sidewalk. Claire laughed at the small creature, a sound that tinkled across the sidewalk and into the poor fairy's ears. He looked up at her with astonishment, seeing that she was laughing at him, at _him_. She made eye contact, then quickly darted her eyes, but not before the fairy saw.

"Are you Claire?"

Before the small creature could make his way to the girl, a heavy built man walked up to her, extending his hand.

"Um, yes sir, I am."

She reached out to shake his hand but he grabbed the suitcase instead.

"Hi, I'm Cain. Sorry I'm late. Becky was having a cow. Really though, having a cow," he laughed, a bellowing, full laugh that set Claire at ease. "She's a cow herself, you know. Now off we go."

Claire watched as he threw her suitcase in the back of a pickup truck full of hay.

"You'll have to ride back there. The passenger's seat doesn't have upholstery. I've been meaning to get that fixed..." he trailed off as he helped her in the back of the truck.

Claire quickly got settled on top of the bale of hay. It was much more comfortable than she expected, and it smelled nice, like summer and grass and sunshine.

The truck rumbled underneath her as she took one last look at the station. She had taken a train from her hometown to the middle of nowhere after finding an ad in the university newspaper. It was the last glimpse she would see of anything familiar, she hoped. Hoped with everything she had. And what she had left over she wished that somehow her new life would be more fulfilling than her old one, would be more of the real Claire.

Claire did not know how much time had passed. Cain had said something to her, but it had gotten lost in the wind, floating behind the truck along with little bits of hay and dust. Something was settled on her stomach, a light weight that shifted as she straightened up after her nap.

"Ouch! That hurt" the fairy said as he tumbled to the ground, landing on the bed of the truck with his little hat askew.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Claire exclaimed, scooping it up, not exactly sure what it was. "What are you?"

"I knew it!" the thing said, dancing above her palm. "You can see me! You can help me! We have to save the Harvest Goddess!"

Claire just looked at him with a blank stare.

"My name is Finn. I'm a Harvest Sprite."

Claire was glad to finally have a name for the creature. "Hi Finn, I'm Claire. I'm, um, a person. I'm a farmer."

"We're here!" Cain said as the truck made a final turn. A great plain was spread out in front of them, dotted with small black and white specs that Claire assumed were livestock. A great field of flowers was off to her left, bright yellow and red, and beyond the plain she could see mountains rising up until they met the clouds. The truck passed through a narrow opening in the fence and passed a large house, complete with a barn, a coop, and what looked to be a giant windmill. After passing over a bridge, the truck finally came to a shuddering stop in front of a large piece of property, where, perched on top of a hill, sat a house and two crumbling buildings.

Cain got out of the drivers side and reached back, setting the suitcase on the ground and then reaching for Claire's hand, helping her off the back of the truck.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Mr. Cain," she said, bowing with respect before grasping the handle of her bag.

"It was my pleasure. It's nice to have some new blood around here. Be sure to come by the ranch as soon as you can. We'll help you get started out here." Cain shook her hand one last time before returning to his truck and driving back the way he came.

Claire ran up the hill, dragging her suitcase behind her, Finn trailing in the dust, trying to keep up. She reached the peak and stood, breathing heavily, taking in the sight of her new home. It was crappy, really. There was no denying it. But it wasn't college. It wasn't her parents' lives, it wasn't her advisor's life, it was her life, her house, her property. And it was beautiful.

**I know this is the beginning, but I have big plans for this story!**

**Please leave a review! Pretty please?**


	2. Chapter 2

"Ahh! That felt good!" Claire exclaimed to Finn as she walked out of the Town Hall. "I finally paid off that debt, and I finally rang the green bell this morning."

Claire jumped out into the summer air, twirling with her arms at her sides. Her straw hat, the same one she had been wearing on her first day in Harmonica Town, flew up into the air and drifted down the street, then plummeting down towards the ocean.

"Oh no!" Claire said under her breath, chasing after her hat. She skidded down the small ramp that led to a dock for boats to tie up to. Her hat was just out of reach, taunting her as it floated to the left and right.

Suddenly it was snatched up and into the air, darting behind and to the left of her, water dripping down onto her back.

Toby was standing behind her with his fishing pole in his hands, Claire's hat hanging from the hook.

"Were you looking for this?" he said, sizing up his catch. "No? I'll throw it back..."

She laughed and reached for it. "No no I need it!"

He moved his pole away from her, swinging the hat further out of her reach. "Are you sure?" He gazed at her with his slanted eyes before taunting her again. He moved the hat close to her and then, right when she almost had it, he jerked it back out to the ocean.

Claire had almost had her hat back into her grasp, but it was too late. She had leaned as far as she could over the water and was unable to center herself back on the dock in time. With a small scream, she tumbled into the water head-first with a smack.

She surfaced, spitting out the briny saltwater and focusing an intense glare on Toby's innocent face.

"What was that for?" she yelled, splashing him before she climbed back onto the dock.

"It was an accident," Toby explained, finally handing her the hat.

Claire remembered, the first time she met Toby, how relaxed and gentle he seemed. They had become fast friends; Toby had the life that Claire wanted for herself. Not to be a fisherman, but the knowing of what he was and what he intended to do. Toby was comfortable doing exactly what he wanted, and it suited him. Claire, if asked who her number one confidante and best friend was, would reply without hesitation that it was the oldest son of the fisherman, that it was Toby.

"I'm just going to have to get you back," Claire sighed as she returned the hat to her head. She smiled deviously and retreated, climbing the ramp back up to the street and leaving Toby to wonder and wait.

Her clothes really were soaking wet. Her shoes squished with every step so she took her boots and socks off, placing them in her rucksack. The ground was warm, the air was warm, and the sun was bright. She wrung out the bottom of her shirt as she passed by the tailors and looked into the window longingly. The clothes inside, behind the glass, safe from the dirt and the dust, looked pristine and perfect. Soft pinks, peaches, creams all draped over headless mannequins, allowing Claire to picture herself in them. A perfect summer dress, pink and short, captured her attention as it did every day.

The only thing was the price tag. 6,000 G was not something she could just throw away on something frivolous. Heck, she had just paid of her house, and it cost a whole thousand less! Even though she had been working since the beginning of spring, money was still extremely tight as she fought to upgrade her farm and house, expand her herd of animals, and make something of her small farming plot. Not to mention the various quests the Harvest Goddess had her do.

Claire took one last look at the dress, and with a sigh, turned back towards the bridge, squeezing the bottom of her shorts so that the water ran down her leg onto her bare feet.

"Hey! You!"

Claire looked up from the ground to see a boy walking towards her, his arms crossed over his chest.

She stared at him innocently and turned her head to the side when he didn't say anything further, her still holding on to the hem of her shorts. "I'm sorry," Claire said after a moment. "Do you need me?"

The boy coughed weakly into his fist and put his arms to the sides. He looked strangely uncomfortable. Claire accounted it to him being in a sweater vest and long sleeves during the middle of the summer.

"Um, could I have a word with you?" he finally said, looking at her strongly after finding his words. "I need to speak to you in my office."

Claire raised her eyebrows at the "my office" comment but nonetheless followed him back into the town hall. He in turn raised his eyebrows at her bare feet and soaking wet clothes.

The boy led her into a small room to the back of the Town Hall. He circled a large wooden desk and settled into a high backed office chair. Claire didn't want to ruin the nice chair on her side of the desk so she stood awkwardly to the side of it. He noticed but just sighed, putting his forearms on the desk and lacing his fingers together. He sat with his back straight and his head up, looking at her with a confidence she couldn't equally match.

"I need to speak with you about the Green Bell," he said.

Claire looked at him with surprise. "I- I'm sorry?"

He stared at her. "The Green Bell. You are the one who rang it, am I right?" He stood up, his hands flat on the desk. "You are the one who has revitalized this island, right? Are you the girl?"

Claire couldn't meet his eyes. "Um, I, um, yes. I, uh, I rang the bells..."

The boy squinted his eyes at her. "How?"

She looked up at him but quickly glanced away. "It's, uh, a long story..."

He sat back down in his chair, leaning back and crossing his legs. "Give it to me. I have time."

Claire looked sheepishly at Gill (he had finally mentioned his name) as he stared at Finn, who was sitting on his desk. The little fairy was scared out of his mind and trembled as Gill reached out and picked him up from the desk, cradling the little guy in his hands.

"So, this is why..." he said under his breath before returning a shaking Finn to Claire.

"I didn't know that people could see them," Claire said, but more of a question than a statement, searching for an answer.

"I've been able to see them since I was little," Gill replied. "When I left, the Goddess Tree was still healthy. While I was at college, I got the call that everything was going downhill. I didn't know this was the cause." He furrowed his brow and frowned, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips.

"Oh..." Claire's voice drifted away as she stood awkwardly, still soaking wet with no shoes on. In the silence, the pitter patter of the drops forming a puddle in the carpet sounded deafeningly loud. "I, um, need to get back to the farm," Claire said, searching for a way out of the office. "Thank you, Mr. Gill."

He stood up and walked around her, opening the door to the light of the main room. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Claire," he said as he gestured for her to leave.

Claire bowed slightly and walked across the floor, feeling his eyes on her back as she left Town Hall for the second time that day, entering back into the warm summers evening instead of the afternoon.

Gill stared out the door for a minute after Claire left, organizing his thoughts. He turned back to his office.

"Father, please send someone to clean up. There's a trail of water and a puddle in my office."


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Claire carefully folded her newly dried orange and pink outfit and placed it into her wardrobe, donning a brand new green shirt that she bought at the tailors. She sighed wistfully as she thought of the pink outfit, clean and ironed, that still was displayed in the shop window. Luna had seen her eyeing it and tried to make a sale, but knew that the farmer's funds were limited. Claire knew that she had signed up for this life, but it didn't make it any easier.

After petting her new puppy, she stepped out into the summer air, breathing in as the heat dried her lips and her hands became damp from the sudden change. She looked up into the cloudless sky, an endless expanse of blue that stretched until it met the ocean off in the distance. It was 17 Summer, the day of the Ocean Festival, and Claire was looking forward to the fishing contest. Toby had been patiently working with her to improve her skills, and she was confident that she would be able to catch the fish in an hour. It might take the whole time, but she knew she could.

In fishing, Claire found an activity that she excelled at. The benefits were twofold: it increased her ever growing friendship with Toby and earned her much needed money. However, her one true love was farming.

She could not express the feeling when her first spring crops poked their tender leaves from under the ground, reaching for the light and the warmth of the sun. She cared for them seemingly night and day, checking on them every time she passed, spending most of her days with her knees in the dirt. It was back breaking and took quite a toll on her: she became skinnier, losing her baby fat, and her knees became scuffed up and perpetually dirty. Claire was always tired, always needed food and energy. But it was worth it.

But the cost of farming was more than physical. It was emotional. Claire had never been extremely social, and always thought that she was more adverse to relationships than willing. However, the first few weeks on Castanet, when she spent all day every day on the farm, were her loneliest. Finn was there, yes, but he was more of a parent or a nagging aunt than a friend. It wasn't until she met Toby that she felt comfortable with her life on the island. The balance between her farm and her friends, who increased seemingly every day, was difficult to achieve but was something Claire felt empowered to do.

She started down the hill, ringing the bell for her livestock to come eat their fill in the field before continuing down the path to Harmonica Town. She passed over the bridge, looking to the right for the Kappa, but to no avail. It was always her mission to catch a glimpse of the elusive creature, and one of her small goals to take a picture. He always seemed to disappear before she could get a shot, though. She amounted it to one of the great disappointments in life and continued to the town.

As she passed the bulletin board, a simple ad caught her eye, seemingly insignificant amongst the loud, colorful advertisements for the general store and the bar. It read, in black and white type,

HELP WANTED

COMMUNITY EVENT MANAGER

FLEXIBLE HOURS, GOOD PAY

SEE MAYOR HAMILTON FOR DETAILS

What was this? A job opening? Claire was intrigued, but the festival sounds drifted towards her and she felt a tugging to go join the fun. She took one last look at the poster as she walked away, her eyes glued to the paper.

"Ouch!"

Claire stepped back suddenly, realizing that she ran into someone in her distracted state.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" she said as a reflex. She looked up and met the angry eyes of Gill, who was rubbing his upper arm.

"Are you made of brick? That seriously hurt," he said as he returned his arm to his side.

Claire quickly moved her eyes to the side. His blue eyes were piercing, and she felt exposed and embarrassed every time she met them. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," she managed to squeak out.

Gill furrowed his brow. "I know. I heard you the first time."

Claire stood there, not knowing what to say, looking at the ground and reaching distractedly for her fishing pole strapped to her rucksack.

Gill looked at her cooly, observing her. "Are you going to the festival?" he finally asked.

Claire nodded and glanced at him.

He looked strained. "Are you going to participate in the fishing contest?"

Claire nodded and opened her mouth, but thought for a second and then shut it.

Gill sighed. Claire knew she should have been more friendly, but she felt strangely uncomfortable in his presence.

"Let's head on to the festival then," Gill said. He gestured his arm out for her to start walking, and Claire sheepishly followed suit, stepping next to him down the street.

Her eyes caught the dress, eager for a distraction from the awkward silence that filled the air, making it hard for her to breathe, intensifying the humidity.

Gill traced her gaze. "That would look very pretty on you," he said truthfully, pointing to the dress in the shop window.

Claire looked at him with a blush, shaking her head. "No, no, I could never... I couldn't buy it," she said, her head moving back and forth continually. "It is very pretty though."

Gill looked down at her and she looked away once more. She nervously twisted the handle of her fishing pole, producing a squeaking sound that seemed to make their lack of a conversation more apparent. They signed in unison, each looking towards the festival in front of them, eager to reach their destination.

"I welcome you to... THE SUMMER FESTIVAL!"

Claire clapped, standing by the balloon arch next to Toby, who had been waiting for her at the Fishery. He had glazed over her arrival with Gill when he saw her face, and just gestured for her to join him.

"Ready to fish?" he offered, throwing out bait he hoped she would take.

Her eyes brightened. "Yeah!" she said, her face breaking out into a smile. "I've been waiting all morning!"

Toby smiled, his eyes nearly disappearing. "I'm glad to see you so eager. I'm still going to beat you though."

She punched his arm lightly. "Hey now. Just you wait. I'll catch up to you."

He laughed lightly and put his hand on her back, pushing her forward toward the beach. They began to walk on the sand, Toby returning his arm back to his side and Claire running toward the booth where the Mayor stood.

"I'd like to sign up for the Fishing Contest," Claire said to Hamilton, his eager face shining in the sun.

"You too, I presume," Hamilton said as Toby finally made his way to the booth, walking at his own pace.

Claire laughed and then had a thought. "Mayor Hamilton, I saw that ad on the bulletin board."

Hamilton looked up from his papers. "Oh! I'm glad!" he said, stretching out his arms. "We need someone like you to fill in!"

Claire waved her arms in front of her face. "No, no, I was just curious. What's going on?"

Hamilton looked crestfallen at her refusal. He handed her and Toby the paperwork to finish. "Well, you know, I'm getting old. I was going to retire this fall, you know, have more time to relax and whatnot. I'm not as young as I used to be." He laughed. "It's just going to be a new experience for my son, so I want some of the pressure to be taken off at the beginning."

Claire looked confused and looked up from her form. "Your son? Who's that?"

Toby looked over at her, genuinely surprised. "You walked here with him. Gill?"

Claire's eyes got wide. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know that was your son!"

Hamilton waved it off and took their entry forms. "He got his looks from his mother. I'm glad to see that he's making some friends here now. He's been gone for such a long time. You see, he went off to"

"Dad, here are the prizes," Gill said quickly, walking up and effectively stopping the conversation.

Hamilton didn't seem to notice or care about the interruption. "Oh goody! Just put them there so they don't spoil." He turned and smiled at Claire and Toby. "Looks like you're all set! Just be here at three for the contest."

Claire avoided Gill's eyes and instead pulled Toby off toward the beach to inspect some spiny sea urchin. She was lost in thought.

Claire knew that she desperately needed money. Her barn still had a gaping hole in the roof and her house was dreadfully small, even for one person. And maybe, she would be able to buy some clothes...

She shook her head quickly and stood up. Toby glanced up at her from his kneeling position on the beach.

"Are you okay, Claire?" he said, returning to her height.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Yeah! Of course!"

He stared at her. "Are you thinking about that job?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, a little bit. I need the money. But I don't want to give up any fishing time with you."

Toby smiled. "It's okay. We can fish any time."

Claire grinned. "If you say so." She looked behind her at the lighthouse. "Hey, look! Paolo's at the top of the lighthouse!" She looked at him mischievously. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"

Claire darted across the sand and onto the rickety bridge. Toby smiled at her as she ran away and followed at a slower pace, chuckling as he looked at his feet on the sand.

Gill looked up from the stacks of sashimi and saw Claire running across the beach, laughing and beckoning at Toby. He could hear her voice, but couldn't make out the words, just a fluctuation of voice and a mixture of the tide. Why didn't she act like this all the time? he thought. Maybe she's just shy.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hi! It's a beautiful summer day! Would you like your picture taken?"

Simon looked at Claire expectantly. Yes, of course she wanted one. It was the festival she had been waiting for all year.

"Yes!" Claire responded, nodding enthusiastically.

Simon gestured toward them and Toby and Claire obliged.

"Cheese!" Simon cheered.

"Cheese!" Claire echoed, holding back her hair from the wind.

The picture was taken.

* * *

"...And the winner is..."

The crowd waited expectantly to hear the results of the fishing contest.

"Toby!"

Claire groaned as everyone around her clapped. She did join in congratulating him, however.

"Second place is Renee! Third place is Claire!"

Claire jumped at the mention of her name. She thought she had done horribly, only catching the octopus at the thirty minute mark.

She stepped up to the podium and shook Gill's hand, who was handing out prizes as his father was announcing.

"First place is 10 Shining Sushi, second place is 10 Perfect Sashimi, and third place is 10 Good Herb Fish! Please come get your prizes! You all did great!"

Claire waved from the podium. Third place wasn't bad. And she had a whole year to train for the next one! Plus, that herb fish might be worth some money...

It was really a bit sad that Claire's life on Castanet Island revolved around money. In college, sure, she had been poor. But money was always just added to her account by her parents. Here, on her own, she worked for every penny. Hard, at that. Money determined how big and nice her house was, how many animals she owned, how large her plot of land was. And Claire was determined to someday have it all.

So, money was a concern.

She could not have thanked Gill enough for her prize. "Thank you so much!" she said for the last time as he handed her the bag of boxes. Each one had one herb fish dish in it. She smiled into the bag and counted her boxes with pride.

He looked at her quizzically and shook his head, moving on to Toby's prize of shining sashimi.

* * *

As the sun set over the water, Claire snapped a picture of Toby looking out into the distance. They were both sitting in the sand with their bathing suits on, their legs in the water, a bit of pink across their cheeks from the sun of the day.

Claire had her straw hat on, the ribbon tied in a bow above her ear.

"Take a picture, Toby," she said as she handed him the camera.

"Smile," he said as she grinned from ear to ear. He clicked and the camera lens snapped the photo.

Claire quickly grabbed the camera to see the picture. While she was flipping through the photos, Gill, who had been waiting for the right moment but couldn't seem to find one, walked over to where they sat.

Toby looked behind him and saw Gill standing there. He got up from the sand, dusted his shorts off, and stuck out a hand for Gill to shake.

"Care to join us?" Toby asked quietly in his typical calm, relaxed tone.

Gill looked a bit surprised but quickly returned to a straight face. "Yes, I would."

Claire looked up, astonished, when Gill plopped rather ungracefully down next to her. She turned the camera quickly away from him and leaned towards Toby, looking at Gill questioningly.

"Are you ready to see the fireworks?" Gill asked, unfazed by his sloppy entrance. The wet sand close to the water was less stable than he thought.

Claire nodded. "I haven't seen them, um, here before?" she asked, hitting herself mentally for sounding like an unsure teenager. "I mean, I've seen some before. Back in the city. I like them."

Claire sighed. She sounded like a robot. But, it was better than before, right?

Gill didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn't care. "I saw some when I was in college. They're not as good as these though."

Claire waited for him to say something else but he didn't. She turned to Toby for some relief, but during the short seconds of their conversation Renee had come over.

"Congratulations, Renee," Claire said, eager to speak to someone else. "You were so close to beating Toby, I thought you would win for sure!"

Renee laughed. Toby's face didn't change. "Maybe next year," she said, punching his arm.

"It's starting," Gill said, and everyone stopped talking and looked up at the sky.

The first boom took everyone by surprise. Claire nearly jumped up from the beach, and she erupted in laughter at her own reaction. Renee was squealing with glee, and Toby grinned. Claire looked next to her and Gill had a small smile on his face, leaned back and resting with his elbows in the sand.

Claire took her hat off and leaned back onto the beach. The whole sky was in front of her, the great expanse only ending with the mountains on her right and the lighthouse, a small interruption, to her left. She realized that she would be washing sand out of her hair for days, but the view was too good to miss.

The sky exploded with bright shades of red, yellow, green, blue. She struggled to look around her and she saw all of the villagers mingled together, standing under the same sky, in awe of the same event. Everyone came together as one big family: Irene was holding young Chloe's hand, Anissa was standing with Dale, her hand on his dog's head, Paolo sporting a new ball cap that Candace had just given him.

"It's beautiful," Claire and Gill said, simultaneously.

Claire giggled and he laid flat in the sand, wiping the grit off his elbows.

"The sand or the people?" Claire asked.

"Both," he said as he looked at the villagers. Claire saw something that she had not seen in the young man's eyes: love. He really cared for the village and its inhabitants. He had a fondness for them that was unmatched to anything else Claire had seen.

They stayed silent for the rest of the show.

* * *

After Hamilton announced the end of the festival, Toby helped Claire up off of the sand.

"That was a good Summer Festival," Renee said as they were brushing the sand off of themselves.

"I really enjoyed it," Claire replied as she raked her hands through her hair, hoping to brush out most of the sand.

Everyone agreed.

The unlikely group walked back to the pavement and put their shoes and clothes back on there, beating their flip flops against the ground to get the sand off.

Renee waved goodbye as she went with her parents and the rest of the Flute Fields group, Julius and Candace with them.

"See you tomorrow, Toby," Claire said when she spotted Ozzie standing by the Fishery, looking through the crowd for his sons.

"Wouldn't miss it," Toby said, glancing at Gill and smiling at Claire, his hand raised in a wave.

"Goodnight!" she called as he walked away.

Claire looked at Gill, who was just standing next to her. "That was fun," she offered, trying to get him to say goodnight.

"Yeah, it was."

She poked her lips out into a pout. "Um, well, good night?"

Gill looked confused. "We're going the same way," he said, gesturing toward the road in front of the bar.

Claire hit herself on the forehead. "Right. Sorry." She would have to deal with him for a bit longer. Wait, deal with him? Just...

"Let's go," Gill said, walking in front of her. She followed right behind him.

The rest of the villagers were in large groups in front of them, each branching off in Harmonica Town to their own homes. Claire and Gill were the last ones to leave, besides the Fishery residents, who were now cleaning up the beach.

"How did you like the fireworks?" Gill asked, slowing down to walk beside her. "Better than the city ones?"

Claire looked at him, searching for a reason. He just looked at her with mild interest. Claire thought that was enough to get him by in most situations. "Yeah, definitely. I loved them."

"I'm glad. Do you think that the festival could be any better? Than it is right now, I mean," he said stiffly.

Claire's eyes widened. "Oh! The mayor said that he was retiring. Are you going to be in charge?" she asked.

Gill sighed, irritated. "Yes. I wish he would stop talking about it though. I think he needs to wait to retire."

"Why?" Claire asked, confused. "He seems old enough. He seemed eager earlier."

Gill looked away, into the window of the Tailor's. "I'm not ready."

Claire seemed to shrink within herself. "Oh." She hadn't thought about Gill's side of things.

They arrived at the bulletin board, where they would split off, only to find the mayor standing near the board, seemingly falling asleep standing up.

"Father?" Gill asked, touching his dad on the shoulder. "Father, what are you doing here?"

Hamilton seemed to awake with a start. "Oh! Oh, I'm glad to see you two! Well, Claire anyways," he said with his usual enthusiasm. "Gill, can you go on home? I need a word with Claire."

Gill looked surprised but quickly glossed it over. "Goodnight," he said to Claire She gave a little wave and he turned and left.

Hamilton clapped his hands. "Claire!" he said excitedly. "I need to talk to you about that job really fast!"

Claire furrowed her brow. "What about it?" she asked hesitantly.

Hamilton got serious. "I really would wish you would consider it. Everyone else in the village, besides the children, has their own full time jobs that they can't sacrifice. I was hoping that, since your schedule was flexible, if you would be able to come down and help Gill out."

"Oh, I don't know..."

"Just a couple hours a day. Mornings, afternoon, nights even. It doesn't matter." Hamilton grabbed her hand and shook it. "I am desperate, Claire. I've been waiting to retire and you're my only hope." He didn't stop shaking her hand, up and down, up and down, and smiled at her.

Claire couldn't stand the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Yes, um, I can do it."

Hamilton's hands shot up in the air. "Yay! Oh, thank you Claire! I'll send you a letter and you can run by Town Hall when you've made a decision about your schedule." He shook her hand one last time. "Goodnight!"

Claire stepped back. "Goodnight," she replied, turning and walking as fast as she could without running across the bridge, eager to get home and organize her thoughts.

**Sorry it took a bit. This chapter was sitting on my computer for a couple of days. :/**

**Please leave a review! Pretty please?**


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